Good Food: Calivirgin Buddha's Hand Citron Olive Oil
by Kate Malin
Eating healthy should still be delicious.
To some, the Buddha’s Hand citron is a familiar farmers' market sight, while for others, the discovery of this striking yellow fruit with finger-like tentacles will be a revelation. A symbol of prosperity, luck, and longevity in its native China, this fragrant citrus also happens to thrive in California, which is where Coldani family, the makers of Calivirgin Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sources theirs and infuses it into olive oil. They cut the citron by hand and crush it right into their olives for processing. The result is an olive oil fully flavored with the complex lemony, floral taste of the Buddha’s Hand. The citrus notes pop when drizzled over a salad or used to finish pasta and fish.
Whether making their extra-virgin or flavor crush oils, producing Calivirgin olive oil is a family affair, with over 70 years of traditions and knowledge passed down to each generation of the Coldani family. All the olives they mill are harvested from the family-owned and operated farm in Lodi, California, where they are grown sustainably and without the use of pesticides. Long recognized for its many health benefits, olive oil, extra-virgin or flavored, makes a good alternative to cooking or baking with unhealthy saturated or trans fats, while antioxidants like Vitamin E and carotenoids can help protect against disease and aging.
Buddha's Hand Citron Olive Oil is available at calivirgin.com. Calivirgin is part of the Good Food Awards, a project to honor food and drink producers making the sort of food we all want to eat – tasty, authentic and responsible, and a proud member of the Good Food Merchants Guild, national association uniting American craft food businesses to connect, convene and promote Good Food businesses of all sizes.
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From her grassroots work at the Good Food Awards to her continued education at NYU’s Food Studies Master’s Program, Kate Malin brings an unparalleled passion for great food and good people.
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